Nov 17, Colombo: A Sri Lankan court has summoned the commander of the country's over the disappearance of 24 Tamils since their arrest in 1996 by security forces during the internal conflict with the LTTE.

Jaffna High Court Judge M. Illancheliyan on 15 November ordered Army Commander Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake to appear in Court on 18 January 2018.

Judge Ilancheliyan issued the order when he considered a petition filed by parents and relatives of the 24 missing persons on November 15.

The petitioners have alleged that the youths arrested by the then Commandant of the Nawakkuliya Army camp in Jaffna in September 1996 had disappeared.

The Army Commander, the Attorney General and the then Commandant of the Nawakkuliya Army camp have been cited as respondents in the petition.

The magistrate ordered all three respondents to appear in Court on 18 January, 2018.